Your loved one is sick. You are sick. Someone has died. You’re angry. Of course you are. Ironically, on some level, you’re probably also telling yourself you ought not to be so angry.

The reality is, you have every right to be angry. And not just angry. Furious. Howlingly, terrifyingly, raging-screaming-storming outraged. Your world has just been turned on its head. Plans you made have been thwarted. Dreams smashed. And you’re angry.

The real question is ‘what are you going to do with that anger?’

Sometimes, it’ll get the best of you. You’ll lash out. You’ll throw some good ol’ floor-pounding temper tantrums.

But, do you feel the energy that’s there? That anger is a powerful force within you. That force drives people to do incredible things. People run marathons, build monuments, and start foundations with that anger. They write, paint, and draw with it. They change lives. That’s right: anger can be a force for good. That outrage that you’re feeling – it can do good in the world. Right now, you may feel completely exhausted, but when you’re ready – when you feel that anger quivering just below the surface – it might be a good time to talk with a chaplain or another trusted counselor to make a plan.